The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2000, Side 15

Vol. 56 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
13
Emigrants to North America
Interview with GuSny Fridriksson on the occasion of
her 90th Birthday
by Ingibjorg Jonsson for the Logberg, 1946
Translated by: Ninna Bjarnason Campbell
In the fall of 1873, or 73 years ago, many
people from various districts in northern
Iceland assembled in Akureyri awaiting pas-
sage to North America. They had said
farewell to their relatives, friends and home
towns and were on their way to try their luck
in the west. This was the first large group that
left Iceland for America - around 160 persons.
Young newlyweds
Among these travelers was a newly mar-
ried couple; they were married on July 10, the
day before they left their birthplace
Melrakkaslettu in the northern most part of
Iceland. The groom displayed a gentlemanly
demeanor, and indeed was chosen when he
arrived in Akureyri to be one of the three
leaders of the group.
The bride was very young, just 17 years
old, slender with blue eyes and thick golden
hair; and was smiling and gentle. This young
refined couple was Fridjon Fridriksson and
Gudny Sesselja SigurSardottir from Hardbak.
90 years young
This couple was destined to play a lead-
ing role in the saga of the western Icelanders.
As is well known, Fridjon Fridriksson played
a prominent and substantial role in their com-
munity life, and was one of the major
Icelandic entrepreneurs in the early settlement
years, along with his good wife. It is many
years since he passed away, but Fru GuSny
celebrated her 90th birthday last October 29.
On the occasion of having arrived at this stage
of her long and remarkable life, I asked her to
let me interview her for the woman's column
in Logberg. Fru Gudny resides with Theodora
Herman, a nurse, at 120 Lenore St. here in the
city. (Winnipeg)
They greeted me cordially, and I thought
it was especially noteworthy to see how this
elderly pioneer woman wore her years well -
she still has a youthful figure and is agile,
smiling and cheerful. Her memory is excel-
lent and her thoughts are lucid.
"I have done nothing that is worth
telling."
"Your life story is in many ways a story
of the Icelandic settlement in the West" I said
to Fru GuSny. "You could no doubt tell me of
many eventful happenings."
"It is now possible to read of the settle-
ment in the Saga of Western Icelanders by
f*orsteinn £*. f’orsteinsson. I have read it all,
but that which I have read is correct and
understandable. Yes, my husband and I were
in the first group that came to New Iceland,
but I am going to ask you not to write much
about me, my dear. I don't think I have con-
tributed or done anything remarkable in the
lifetime - nothing that is worth telling. I was
mostly working in the home, and did not have
much time to occupy myself with outside
activities."
Thus replied this modest and humble set-
tler's wife, she, who in difficult pioneering
years created a good and attractive home;
raised fine children and was a tower of
strength for her husband through the hard-
ships in the arduous pioneer years. As always,
it is a certainty that those who accomplish the
most, make the least of it.
Searching for work
"Where did you set up your first home
here on this continent?" I asked Fru Gudny.
"We did not buy a home right away when
we came west - far from it!" she replied.
"The first necessity was to get a job.
When we emigrants arrived in Toronto, the
Group separated. My husband and I went with
the group that continued on to Muskoka in
Ontario. The other group went south to the
United States. We did not stay long in
Muskoka because there was not much work.
Just when our money was running out, we
received a letter from our Icelandic friends
who went to Milwaukee, to the effect that